|
Aran Hall School are in the early stages of implementing Active Support –a method of supporting people with learning disabilities. Active Support was pioneered by the welsh centre for Learning Disability in the 1980’s and is now used all over the world. The method enables staff teams to identify and provide the correct level of support to people, allowing them to take a fuller part in everyday life. The person is at the core of the process which encourages staff to examine what the person needs to do, can do and could do and changes the focus from ‘caring for’ and ‘doing for’ to focus on ‘supporting’ and ‘working with’. It compliments positive behaviour support, total communication and person centred planning.
There is evidence that Active Support has enabled people to have fuller lives, taking part in a wider variety of activities in the home and the community.
The School has been working with Sandy Toogood, a lecturer at Bangor University, who also works for the NHS Trust in Wrexham and is one of the pioneers of Active Support in the UK. Sandy was part of welsh centre research Team in 1981.
Sandy describes Active Support as two things ‘Firstly, it’s a way of thinking about how to support people with a learning disability in community homes it encourages participation and independence through taking part in activity. Secondly it’s a set of procedures to help staff organize themselves so that they provide effective support for each person’.
For more information please contact Duncan Pritchard – Principal at Aran Hall School or visit www.arcuk.org.uk/wales/
|
